Pinch clamp

ABSTRACT

The invention relates to a finger nail or pinch clamp comprising a tubular clamping body ( 1 ), a spacer tube ( 2 ) and a ring ( 3 ), with said tubular clamping body ( 1 ) having two longitudinally extending and, in cross-sectional view, convexly-concavely curved legs ( 4 ) between which longitudinal slots ( 5 ) are arranged, and with the legs ( 4 ) on the first end of the finger nail clamp being held together whereas on the second end ( 7 ) of the finger nail clamp the legs ( 4 ) can freely move, and with the legs ( 4 ) towards the second end ( 7 ) of the finger nail clamp in becoming more narrow on at least one longitudinal side so that the longitudinal slot ( 5 ) or gap on at least one longitudinal side of the clamping body ( 1 ) widens towards the second end ( 7 ) of the finger nail clamp to form a recess ( 8 ), and with a spacer tube ( 2 ) extending longitudinally within the interior of the clamping body ( 1 ), said spacer tube ( 2 ) being secured inside the interior of the clamping body ( 1 ) and ending at the second end ( 7 ) of the nail clamp in front of the clamping body ( 1 ), and with a ring ( 3 ) arranged on the clamping body ( 1 ), with said ring being slidable in longitudinal direction and thus capable of pressing the legs ( 4 ) of the clamping body ( 1 ) together when moved towards the second end ( 7 ) of the finger nail clamp. The inventive finger nail clamp will help facilitating the pinching process adopted in the creation of artificial finger nails because, for one thing, an inadvertent detachment of the pinch clamp can be largely ruled out and, what is more, the inventive finger nail clamp requires only little room so that the nail designer may continue with his work on other fingers.

The invention relates to a finger nail clamp used in the so-calledpinching process.

In the field of cosmetics the care of finger nails is very important formany women. Aside from the care and varnishing of natural finger nailsthe use of artificial nails also plays a significant part. The fittingand design of artificial finger nails has meanwhile become an importantbranch of economic activity. Moreover, competitions are held in thisfield for which especially ambitious nail designs are created also froman artistic point of view.

In the design of artificial nails an artificial nail tip can be stuck tothe end of the finger nail following which the surface is smoothed outby applying a gel. After this, the nail can be treated further, forexample by applying coatings or painting etc.

Another frequently employed way of producing artificial finger nailsrequires the initial removal of skin remnants from the nail body andapplying a dehydrator to the nail body to eliminate moisture. A modelingmaterial is then applied to a template attached to the finger nail toenable the free nail tip to be modeled. Following this, a clear coatfinish may be applied to the completed modeling. Modeling as a rule iscarried out by using as a basis an acrylic powder-liquid mixture or byapplying a gel. Finger nails on acrylic basis are harder and lastlonger, nails on gel basis offer advantages in that they are veryflexible and scratch resistant. Another aspect when designing gel nailsis that unpleasant odors typically emitted in the process of makingacrylic nails are avoided. When creating gel nails a hardening processunder UV light must usually take place which is not required for acrylicnails.

Especially when creating acrylic nails but also in the production of gelfinger nails an additional step may be carried out after nail modeling,i.e. the so-called pinching process. Pinching involves the side contoursof the nail to be pressed together, i.e. the curvature is increased sothat, when viewing the nail from the front, a visually appealing C curveis produced. Aside from enhancing the visual appearance pinching has theadditional advantage of improving the durability of the product becausethe curvature of the tunnel also results in a higher nail strength andreduced risk of nail breakage. Pinching takes place when the materialused for modeling has already started to harden initially but is stillelastic. When producing acrylic nails one has to wait briefly until anadequate incipient hardening has taken place initially; when making gelnails the modeled nail is usually placed in a light hardening device(for appr. 10 to 15 s) before the nail is shaped by pinching.

During pinching a small metal tube is usually placed under the fingernail, the top side of the free nail tip is compressed, for instance bymeans of a tweezers, and a clamp placed onto the finger nail to makesure the pinched shape or form can properly harden/cure.

For clamping purposes very simple devices have hitherto been put to usewhich roughly speaking have the form of a slide gage. The desired formof the finger nail is achieved by appropriately positioning the clampwith the clamp legs kept in compressed state with the help of a rubberband.

When considering this state of the art it is obvious that the pinchclamps require considerable room and are also prone to detach on accountof their rather unsafe method of attachment to the finger nail and whenmanipulated without utmost caution exercised. Moreover, the fixation ofthe finger nail often leaves much to be desired. To make sure the clampdoes not shift or even fall down the customer must virtually keep stillfor a certain period of time. What is more, work on other fingers cannotcontinue as a rule because the clamp positioned on a finger is veryspace consuming and impedes the treatment of other fingers.

Proceeding from what is known from prior art it is therefore theobjective of the invention to provide a pinch or finger nail clampwhich, on the one hand, is securely positioned on a finger, even ifcustomers moves their fingers, and on the other hand allows the naildesigners to continue with work on other fingers thus making sure theirwork is not disturbed by finger nail clamps placed on one or severalother fingers.

In accordance with the invention this objective is achieved by providinga finger nail clamp comprising a tubular clamping body, a spacer tubeand a ring, with said tubular clamping body having two longitudinallyextending and, in cross-sectional view, convexly-concavely curved legsbetween which longitudinal slots are arranged, and with the legs on thefirst end of the finger nail clamp being held together whereas on thesecond end of the finger nail clamp the legs can freely move, and withthe legs towards the second end of the finger nail clamp becoming morenarrow on at least one longitudinal side so that the longitudinal slotor gap on at least one longitudinal side of the clamping body widens toform a recess towards the second end of the finger nail clamp, and witha spacer tube extending longitudinally within the interior of theclamping body, said spacer tube being secured inside the interior of theclamping body and ending at the second end of the nail clamp in front ofthe clamping body, and with a ring arranged on the clamping body, withsaid ring being slidable in longitudinal direction and thus capable ofpressing the legs of the clamping body together when moved towards thesecond end of the finger nail clamp.

By providing the inventive finger nail clamp a basically tubular pinchclamp is made available which is very reliably seated on the finger andcan only be removed by releasing the ring so that it cannot come offinadvertently. Moreover, as a result of the tubular shape of the clamp afinger with nail clamp in place may even be considered as having merelybeen largely extended in length with the positive effect that work onthe other fingers is practically not interfered with. When putting thefinger nail clamp in position the end where the recess is located isplaced onto the nail, i.e. the more narrow sides of the legs forming therecess will abut on the finger nail. The legs of the clamping body arethus positioned in the nail edge area and serve to press the side linesof the nail together so that a more convex finger nail shape isachieved. The recess formed in the clamping body makes sure the legs canextend over a certain length of the finger nail without exertingsqueezing pressure on the finger and in this manner prevents finger padcontusion. The spacer tube serves as stop element and determines how farthe nail clamp can be pushed onto the finger. Moreover, the spacer tubehas a significant influence on the shaping of the finger nail because itco-determines the degree of nail curvature. The spacer tube thusfulfills a dual function. In the process of pushing the finger nailclamp in position the ring initially is arranged at the first end of thenail clamp, i.e. at the end where the ends of the clamping body are heldtogether so that the legs of the clamping body can be slid onto thefinger nail without much resistance to be overcome. Subsequently, thering is moved in the direction of the second end of the finger nailclamp and in this manner compresses the free ends of the clamping bodylegs to enable the nail clamp to be secured in position. The ring is nowpushed forward to such an extent that, on the one hand, a sufficientfixation of the finger nail clamp is achieved and, on the other, theprocess will not be painful to the customer.

The width of the legs reduces towards the second end of the finger nailclamp along the axis that corresponds to the connecting line between thelongitudinal slots, i.e. orthogonally to the longitudinal direction ofthe clamping body. The legs have a convex-concave shape with theconcavely curved sides being arranged so as to face each other and witha longitudinal slot formed and extending between the legs on both sides.

Since the spacer tube extends through the interior of the clamping bodythe diameter of the spacer tube has to be somewhat smaller than that ofthe clamping body. At most, the outside diameter of the spacer tube maycoincide with the inside diameter of the clamping body. Arranged on theclamping body is a ring which is movable in longitudinal direction andhas an inside diameter which, at least in the area of the second end ofthe finger nail clamp, should be somewhat smaller than the outsidediameter of the clamping body so that by the sliding movement of thering a clamping action can be achieved.

Typically, the legs are rounded in the area where they narrow towardsthe second end of the finger nail clamp, that means towards the secondend of the nail clamp the legs for the main part uniformly take on anarrower shape and finally terminate in very narrow leg elements. Overmost of the length of the clamping body the legs are designed to be ofequal width, i.e. have a constant cross section, while they becomenarrower near the second clamp end. Whereas in the area of the first endof the finger nail clamp as well as in the middle area the legs have aconvex-concave shape so that all in all a tubular form of the clampingbody with longitudinal slots is brought about, they are usually curvedonly slightly in the area of the second end of the finger nail clamp.

Additionally, at the second end of the finger nail clamp the legs may beprovided with a stepped shoulder facing the side of the recess, saidshoulder resulting in the legs becoming even narrower at the point wherethe second end terminates. This prevents the skin in the area of thenail wall at the root of the finger nail from suffering contusion.

The manufacture of the finger nail clamp and in particular the clampingbody and spacer tube may involve use of different materials. Formanufacture aluminum is the preferred material, in particular anodizedaluminum. The slidable ring may also be made of aluminum but oftenconsists of plastic material, for example polyoxymethylene (POM). Thefinger nail clamp may of course be made of other materials, for exampleof stainless steel, or completely of plastic material to create an evenmore cost effective product.

To achieve an effective clamping action it is considered advantageous tohave the diameter of the clamping body increase slightly from the firstto the second end, with said clamping body seen in its rest position,i.e. without having the ring moved towards the second end. Therefore, toproduce the clamping effect the longitudinally slidable ring is shiftedfrom the point where it can be easily moved towards the area whereclamping actually takes place. In the area of the first end the diameterof the clamping body may thus be slightly smaller while in the area ofthe second end it becomes slightly greater than the inside diameter ofthe ring so that the legs are pressed together when the ring is shiftedin the direction of the second end whereas they are released again byspring action when the ring is moved towards the first end. By releasingthe finger nail clamp in this manner it can be easily removed from thefinger when the pinch process has been completed. Moreover, an outsidediameter of the clamping body slightly greater than the inside diameterof the ring in the area of the second end prevents the ring from beingpulled off or falling off the clamping body when the clamp is not inuse.

Advantageously, the first end of the finger nail clamp, that is theregion where the legs are held together, is provided with an area thediameter of which is greater and therefore prevents the ring from beingpulled off via the first end of the nail clamp. Accordingly, thisportion may thus be designed so as to be slightly thicker.

In the area of the first end of the finger nail clamp the spacer tube isusually attached to the nail clamp by employing customary joiningmethods which include, for example, welding, soldering, bonding/gluingor screw fastening. The legs of the clamping body may be made usingcomponents of a tube into which longitudinal slots are cut on both sidesbut, alternatively, completely separate legs may be provided which areheld together only in the area of the first end of the finger nail clampin such a manner that the two convexly-concavely shaped legs arearranged such that, basically, they take on the form of a tube providedwith longitudinal slots.

As mentioned earlier, the legs must become narrower at least on one sideso that a recess is formed at least on one longitudinal side of theclamping body. However, it is also conceivable to arrange for the legsto become narrower on both longitudinal sides towards the second end ofthe finger nail clamp so that the longitudinal slots on bothlongitudinal sides of the clamping body enlarge in the direction of thesecond end thus forming a recess. In this way the flexibility of thefinger nail clamp is further enhanced and its manipulability improved.

The spacer tube ends in front of the second end of the finger nailclamp, i.e. its extension in the direction of the second end is smallerthan that of the legs. The length adjustment in this context mustprovide for the spacer tube to end at the finger pad whereas the ends ofthe legs extend beyond the finger nail proper. To enable fingers andfinger nails of different customers to be dealt with as well as takeinto account the different finger types (index, middle, ring, littlefingers and thumb) finger nail clamps of various design may thus be keptready for use, said clamps may differ with respect to diameter,curvature of legs and configuration of the recess arranged in theclamping body. Since the curvature of the spacer tube also co-determinesthe curvature of the finger nail different nail clamp spacer tubes maybe employed to bring about the nail curvature desired in each individualcase.

The individual sizes and dimension are selected to suit the differentfingers of the usually female customers and therefore may slightly vary.Moreover, the curvature of the clamping body as well as that of thespacer tube may also vary to achieve the desired pinching result, i.e.if a customer requests a very high finger nail curvature the curvatureof the finger nail clamp must also be appropriately higher and viceversa. Typically, the entire length of the finger nail clamp rangesbetween 50 and 70 mm, and the length of the clamp legs may vary between40 and 60 mm. The approximate length of the recess is similar to that ofa typical finger nail, for examples ranges between appr. 12 and 18 mm.

The outside diameter of the clamping body may increase from the firsttowards the second end so that more and more force need be exerted toshift the ring in the direction of the second end to achieve the desiredclamping action in this manner. The typical outside diameter of theclamping body in the area of the smaller diameter therefore rangesbetween 11 and 13 mm while this is between 12.5 and 14.5 mm in the areaof the larger diameter. Also the inside diameter of the longitudinallymovable ring should be suitably matched to these dimensions and, forexample, be in the range of appr. 12 to 13 mm. Accordingly, shifting thering in the area of the first end of the finger nail clamp will thus beeasier than moving it along the area of the second end. The outsidediameter of the longitudinally movable ring is deemed less critical butshould nevertheless be selected such that the ring can be easily seizedand manipulated. Therefore, a typical outside diameter ranges between 16and 20 mm.

The length of the spacer tube shall be selected such that the tube abutsagainst the finger pad when the nail clamp has been placed in positionand shall typically range between 30 and 50 mm. At the second end thespacer tube ends some millimeters ahead of the legs of the clampingbody, typically between 2 and 8 mm. Its outside diameter may, forexample, range between 6 and 8 mm so that the clamping body canaccommodate the spacer tube without difficulty. The inside diameter ofthe spacer tube, for example, amounts to 4 to 6 mm; care should be takenin this context to avoid any sharp edges which the customer may findunpleasant or even painful.

To make it even more comfortable for the customer, individual or alledges of the finger nail clamp may be chamfered/broken and to the extentpossible sharp transition points avoided in this way.

Further elucidation of the invention is provided through the enclosedfigures, where

FIG. 1: shows a side view of an inventive finger nail clamp;

FIG. 2: is a top view of the finger nail clamp according to theinvention with spacer tube not shown;

FIG. 3: is a frontal view of the finger nail clamp according to theinvention as per section A-A shown in FIG. 2;

FIG. 4: is a top view of the finger nail clamp according to theinvention with spacer tube shown, and

FIG. 5: is a top view of the finger nail clamp according to theinvention with spacer tube and displaced ring shown.

In FIG. 1 the inventive finger nail or pinch clamp is illustrated in theform of a side view. It shows the clamping body 1 which primarilycomprises two legs 4 which are held together at the first end 6 and arefree to move at the second end 7. Towards the second end 7 the legs 4become more narrow and form the recess 8 into which the fingertip isinserted to enable the pinching process to be carried out. Within theclamping body 1 a spacer tube 2 is arranged and indicated with the helpof a broken line, said tube acting as stop element so to speak for thefinger tip. Furthermore, the spacer tube 2 also contributes in theprocess of shaping the curvature of the finger nail. The ring 3 arrangedon clamping body 1 can be moved in longitudinal direction as shown byarrow 9. At the first end 6 of the finger nail clamp an area ofincreased diameter 11 has been arranged to prevent the ring 3 fromslipping off or being pulled off. At the is second end 7 the clampingbody 1 has been provided with shoulder 10 preventing the skin in thearea of the nail wall at the root of the finger nail from sufferingcontusion.

FIG. 2 illustrates a top view of the finger nail clamp with the spacertube 2 not being shown for simplification. It can be seen that theclamping body 1 consists of two legs 4 between which a longitudinal slot5 extends. In the direction of the second end 7 said longitudinal slot 5widens to form recess 8 brought about in that legs 4 are designed to besignificantly more narrow in this area. The ring 3 is shown in restposition in which the clamping action of the finger nail clamp is lowestso that the nail clamp can be easily placed in position on a finger.

FIG. 3 is a frontal view of the finger nail clamp in accordance withsection A-A shown in FIG. 2. Legs 4 have a convex-concave shape with theconcavely curved sides being arranged facing each other and with alongitudinal slot 5 formed and extending between legs 4 on both sides.

FIG. 4 corresponds with FIG. 2 with the exception that spacer tube 2arranged inside the clamping body 1 and extending in longitudinaldirection has been shown here. The spacer tube 2 serves as stop elementon which the fingertip abuts, said tube thus limits the advancement ofthe finger nail clamp and contributes in shaping the curvature of thenail.

FIG. 5 illustrates the finger nail clamp shown in FIG. 4 but with thering being moved towards the second end 7. In this way the legs 4 of theclamping body 1 are pressed together resulting in a clamping action tobe achieved. Ring 3 is moved in the direction of the second end 7 tosuch an extent that, on the one hand, the finger nail clamp is securelyheld on the finger and, on the other, it is ensured customers do notfeel pain.

1. Finger nail clamp comprising a tubular clamping body (1), a spacertube (2) and a ring (3), with said tubular clamping body (1) having twolongitudinally extending and, in cross-sectional view,convexly-concavely curved legs (4) between which longitudinal slots (5)are arranged, and with the legs (4) on the first end (6) of the fingernail clamp being held together whereas on the second end (7) of thefinger nail clamp the legs (4) can freely move, and with the legs (4)towards the second end (7) of the finger nail clamp becoming more narrowon at least one longitudinal side so that the longitudinal slot (5) orgap on at least one longitudinal side of the clamping body (1) widens toform a recess (8) towards the second end (7) of the finger nail clamp,and with a spacer tube (2) extending longitudinally within the interiorof the clamping body (1), said spacer tube (2) being secured inside theinterior of the clamping body (1) and ending at the second end of thenail clamp in front of the clamping body (1), and with a ring (3)arranged on the clamping body (1), with said ring being slidable inlongitudinal direction and thus capable of pressing the legs (4) of theclamping body (1) together when moved towards the second end (7) of thefinger nail clamp.
 2. Finger nail clamp according to claim 1,characterized in that the legs (4) in the area where they becomenarrower towards the second end (7) of the finger nail clamp arerounded.
 3. Finger nail clamp according to claim 1, characterized inthat the legs (4) at the second end (7) of the finger nail clamp have astepped shoulder (8) at the side facing the recess.
 4. Finger nail clampaccording to any one of claims 1, characterized in that the clampingbody (1) and the spacer tube (2) are made of aluminum.
 5. Finger nailclamp according to claim 4, characterized in that the clamping body (1)and the spacer tube (2) are made of anodized aluminum.
 6. Finger nailclamp according to claim 1, characterized in that the diameter of theclamping body (1) increases slightly from the first end (6) towards thesecond end (7).
 7. Finger nail clamp according to claim 1, characterizedin that at the first end (6) of the finger nail clamp an area ofincreased diameter (11) is arranged which prevents the ring (3) frombeing pulled off via the first end (6) of the finger nail clamp. 8.Finger nail clamp according to claim 1, characterized in that the legs(4) become narrower on both longitudinal sides towards the second end(7) of the finger nail clamp so that longitudinal slots (5) on bothlongitudinal sides of the clamping body (1) enlarge towards the secondend (7) of the finger nail clamp thus forming recesses.